I recently was chatting with my friend Nicole about how I really love getting back into fitness, but a lot of times I just don’t even know what workouts I should be doing. Nicole, who is a Fitness Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer, started telling me about something athletes do called “Periodization.” I loved the concept behind it because it was something I could really see putting PURPOSE and a GOAL behind my workouts.
So I asked Nicole if she would write a post all about Periodization…AKA “Organizing Randomness”…for non-athletes like you and I. Enjoy!
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I’m sure we have all heard sayings such as “muscle confusion”, “constant variation”, etc. when it comes to fitness… And they are totally right! Our bodies are absolutely incredible when it comes to adapting to the demands we impose upon it. Performing similar workouts week after week will no longer be challenging to us so mixing it up is crucial. However, it is very important to have order within the randomness of our exercise program to ensure balanced training throughout muscle groups and development of physical skills.
Periodization allows for evolving goals, modalities and styles of your workout. This variation in workouts forces planned times of less intensity and/or volume, which decreases risk of injury, keeps motivation high and minimizes the dreaded plateau!
Athletes follow periodized programs throughout the entire year to ensure peak performance during their sports season. For those of us who are not professional athletes, we have the luxury of choosing our “in season” time frame of the year. In season can be winter for the skiers and boarders, the date of the half marathon you signed up for, or a bride preparing for her wedding day. The most common In season I hear about is summer of course! Summer is a super social season with BBQs, pool parties and weekends at the shore. We want to feel confident in short shorts, tank tops and bikinis.
Let’s use summer as our in season for a training year. Use these guidelines when planning your workouts for #LEAN14: *Volume = Work Load of the workout (reps and sets) / Intensity = Weight (resistance)*
Off Season (October – February)
WORKOUT: Recovery Phase – Keep volume and intensity low. “Master the basics of gymnastics (body control and fundamental movements): pull ups, dips, rope climb, push ups, sit ups, handstands, flips, splits, and holds.” (CrossFit Training Guide pg. 16). Start lifting! Make your way up to lifting heavy by tightening technique. “Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean & jerk, and snatch.” (CrossFit Training Guide pg. 16).
FOOD: Support your body – Recovery is key when lifting. Feed your body plenty of protein, carbohydrates from veggies and fruit (low glycemic) and fats (unsaturated) to ensure proper muscle restoration. Oh, and LOTS of water. When you think you have had enough water, drink more!
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Left: Handstand Hold As Long As Possible - 5 Reps // Right: Barbell Front Squat – 75lb 7 reps 3 sets
Pre-Season (March – May)
WORKOUT: Get Sculpted – This is the time to PEAK and crush goals. Volume stays low but intensity switches to high. Now that your strength has increased, shake it up by incorporating metabolic conditioning into workouts. A great way to challenge your body is to begin High Intensity Interval Strength Training (HIIST) into the workout mix. Lifting + Metabolic Conditioning (Cardio) = HIIST. “Bike, swim, row, jump rope, skip, run hard and fast.” (CrossFit Training Guide pg. 16).
FOOD: Same as off season but add 1 grain carbohydrate (low glycemic) sometime before 12:00 noon. This will help with energy since we are adding additional training stressors.
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Left: Barbell Deadlift 95lb 5 reps 4 sets + 400m Row // Right: Reverse Lunge with a Twist 10lb Sand Bell 10 reps 3 sets
In Season (June – August)
WORKOUT: Stay Sculpted and Explore– This is the time to maintain our progress. Continue to keep activity levels high but lighten up a bit. Enjoy your hard work and play on the beach! Branch out and experience different ways to exercise such as classes at the gym, a home workout series, play in a sports league…stay moving in fun ways =)
FOOD: “Eat meat and veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.” (CrossFit Training Guide pg. 16).
5 mile hike up the foothills in Palm Springs, CA
Post Season (September)
WORKOUT: Get Strong – Volume turns high and intensity is low. This phase is great for reinforcing technique on key lifts. The high rep low weight range is prepping for the off season training adventures.
FOOD: Protein and Veggies are king… But pumpkin spice lattes are delicious 
***Every 4-5 weeks = Decompression***
Do something fun and completely different: Decrease the load, give your joints a break and allow your body the time it needs to revive and adapt to all of your training!
Snowboarding New Years Eve 2013… Enjoying nature and putting my training to real life use!
Ways to vary workouts: practicing just one of these variations will drastically change your workout.
1. Stability – change the size or position of your body’s base of support
- Static Vs. Dynamic = Split Squat Vs. Lunge
- Stationary Vs. Moving = Lunge Vs. Walking Lunge
2. Tempo – change your speed of movement
- Eccentric – muscle lengthening phase
Take 4 seconds to lower to the bottom of squat - Isometric – no change in muscle length
Hold the bottom of your squat for 15 seconds - Concentric – muscle shortening phase
Take 2 seconds to lower into a squat and 2 seconds to stand
3. Resistance – change the load
- Increase weight while keeping reps the same
- Change the body angle
Hands elevated in a Push Up
4. Combination Movements
- combining multiple movement patterns
i. Squat
ii.Squat -> Shoulder Press
iii. Squat -> Bicep Curl -> Shoulder Press
5. Range of Motion – change the distance you move during an exercise
- Push Up with Dumbbells – Your chest has space to lower further to the floor
6. Rest Periods Between Sets
- Increase or Decrease rest
- Dual Sets, Tri Sets, Quad Sets, etc.
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Feel free to contact Nicole with any questions, training tips, etc. She also offers certain services and classes in Southern New Jersey if you happen to live in the area!
Nicole Wolf
CSCS . NPTI Certified Personal Trainer . CrossFit Level-1 Trainer . CorePower Certified Yoga Sculpt Teacher. Email: nicolewolf427@gmail.com Instagram & Twitter: sweat_face
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Have you ever heard about or trained in the style of Periodization? Is it something you’d be interested in trying?
